Tochigi Hidden Gems
Home to Nikko's lavishly carved shrines and the mountains and lakes behind them — the classic day trip north of Tokyo.
7 spots
Climate & Best Season
Hot plains summers and cool mountain air in Nikko/Oku-Nikko, which sees snow. Late October–November for foliage.
Famous For (Food)
- Utsunomiya gyoza
- Yuba (tofu skin)
- Strawberries
- Soba
Signature Sights
- Nikko Toshogu (UNESCO)
- Kegon Falls & Lake Chuzenji
- Kinugawa Onsen
- Ashikaga Flower Park wisteria
Toshogu Shrine — Golden Temple of the Shogun
Toshogu Shrine is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and represents the absolute z…
Shinkyo Bridge — Sacred Vermilion Arch
Shinkyo is a vermilion-lacquered wooden bridge that arcs over the Daiya River at the entrance to Nikko's shrine district…
Lake Chuzenji & Kegon Falls — Mountain Lake Sanctuary
Lake Chuzenji sits at 1,269 meters in a volcanic caldera formed 20,000 years ago when Mount Nantai erupted and lava damm…
Senjogahara Marshland — Alpine Wetland Plateau
Senjogahara is a 400-hectare highland wetland at 1,400 meters elevation, formed when volcanic lava flows blocked drainag…
Kinugawa Onsen — River Gorge Hot Springs
Kinugawa Onsen is a hot spring resort town in a narrow mountain gorge carved by the Kinugawa River. Discovered in the Ed…
Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa — Meiji Elegance
Tamozawa Imperial Villa was built in 1899 as a summer retreat for the Taisho Emperor (then Crown Prince Yoshihito) and h…
Akechidaira Ropeway — Panoramic Mountain Views
The Akechidaira Ropeway is a 3-minute cable car that ascends 300 vertical meters from the Akechidaira Plateau to an obse…